Slats for venetian blinds



Nov; 19, 1957 w. L. LACY SLATS FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Nov. 25, 1955 mmvron WILLIAM L. LIICY 4r ram/5y United States This invention relates to a slat for a Venetian blind, and the primary object thereof is to provide improved blind slats of the character described, which will permit the removal of any of the slats of the blind assembly for repairing, cleaning, or replacement, or for any other required purposes without necessitating the removal of the associated lifting cords and without disturbing any other parts of the blind structure.

Further objects and advantages of the invention are to provide a blind slat of the class stated, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, durable and efiicient in its use, and comparatively economical in its manufacture and maintenance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood that changes in the form, proportions and details of construction may be resorted to that come with in the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several v1ews:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a blind slat constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of a portion of one of the reenforcing members being broken away.

Figure 3 is an end view of the blind slat.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the reenforcing members.

Figure 5 is a similar view of other of the embodied reenforcing members.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side view of a modified form of blind slat embodying the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the invention com prises a Venetian blind slat 1 generally of the conven tional construction now in common use and well known in the art to which the invention appertains. The slat may be constructed of any suitable material and may be flat or concavo-convex, as shown, in transverse section.

The slat 1 is formed with the required number of oblong, transversely extending cord slots 2 for the passage of the lifting cords 3 in the usual manner. As all of the cords slots are similar in arrangement only one of the cord slots is herein shown and described. In order to provide a means whereby the slat 1 may be quickly and conveniently removed from the blind assembly or re placed in the latter without disturbing the cord 3 or any other of the embodied slats, a slit cut 4 is provided which communicates with one end of the cord slot 2 and extends through to the adjacent side edge of the slat, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1. The slit cut 4 extends in alignment with the longitudinal center of the cord slot 2.

It will be obvious that in providing the slit cut 4, extending from one end of the cord slot 2 to the adjacent edge of the slat as stated, the latter will be materially weakened at the cord slot location. To adequately 2,813,580 Patented Nov. 19, 1957 strengthen such materially weakened location. in the slat, a reenforcing member 5 of considerable extent is attached against one face of the slat and surrounds the cord slot.

The reenforcing member 5 is preferably shaped to conform to the configuration of the cord slot 2 which it surrounds, and is formed with an oblong opening 6 which is in exact registration with the cord slot and conforms to the size and contour of the latter.

The reenforcing member 5 may be made of any suitable material, and is permanently secured in position to the slat 1 by an adhesive, by fusion, or in any other suitable manner to best meet conditions found in practice. The reenforcing member 5 is formed with a slit 7 at that end of the reenforcing member 5 that is located adjacent to the slit cut 4 in the slat 1. The slit 7 extends in longitudinal alignment with one of the side walls of the opening 6, and in consequence is spaced from the slit cut 4 but extends parallel to the latter, as shown in Figure 1.

The entire inner surface of the reenforcing: member 5 is secured against the face of the slat 1 except the free end portion 8 thereof which is detached and free and overlaps and projects beyond the slit cut 4% and seats loosely against the face of the slat 1. It will be evident that by this arrangement the slat may be sufliciently twist distorted at the slit cut 4 to provide clearance allowing the passage of the lifting cord 3 to and from the slot 2 in the slat. As the slit 7 is disposed at one side of the cord slot 2 in spaced relation to the slit cut 4 in the slat, it is impossible for the lifting cord 3 to escape from the cord slot 2 during usual operating conditions.

The reenforcing member 5 may be of a color correspending to the color of the slat to which it is attached, and is of a width considerably less than the width of the overlapping supporting tape 9 of the Venetian blind. Under such conditions the embodiment of the reenforcing member 5 on the slat 1 is barely discernible to a casual observer.

If desired or required to further strengthen the slat 1 at the slit cut 4, a second reenforcing member 10 may be secured against the slat face that is opposed to the slat face carrying the reenforcing member 5, whereby the pair of reenforcing members 5 and 10 will be located in opposed relation to each other at respective side faces of the slat 1.

The reenforcing member 10 is similar to the reenforcing member 5, and is formed with an oblong opening 11 and with the slit 12 which provides the free end portion 13. When a pair of reenforcing members 5, 10, are employed, the respective free end portions 8, 11, thereof will extend in opposite directions with respect to each other.

In the disclosure, shown in Figure 6, the reenforcing member is in the form of an oblong grommet 14 which is secured in the cord opening 2 and provided with a slit 15 to provide to overlapping free detached end portion 16, for use in the manner described relatively to the reenforcing member 5.

The present invention provides a most etficient device of its kind, which may be economically constructed, and successfully employed for the purposes and in the manner herein set forth.

What I claim is:

In a Venetian blind, the combination of a slat having an oblong transversely disposed cord slot and a slit cut extending from the longitudinal center of said slot to one adjacent side edge of said slat, and a pair of similar reenforcing members secured against respective side faces of said slat and surrounding said slot, each of said members having an opening, said opening shaped to conform to the contour of said slot and registering with said slot, each of said members having a slit in one end thereof extending in alignment with opposed side walls of respec- 3 tive openings and being disposed adjacent to said slit cut in parallel spaced relation to the latter, each of said members having its slitted end portion detached from said -slat,; said endaportions overlapping said slit cutand extending in opposite directions withrespect to each other and ,looselyseating against said slat on respective side faces of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

